November 7, 2003

Equestrian Rides At Hartwick Show

The equestrian team enters this weekend with high hopes and plans to return from the Hartwick Show with a first-place finish.

“We will come out strong and focused,” said head coach Chris Mitchell. “And we want to come out on top.”

This show will be the first competition in what should be a breakthrough season for the Red. With a deep team and outstanding performances in pre-season practices, Mitchell expects this year to be a very successful one for the team.

This weekend the Red has strong contestants across the board. Categories range from walk-trot, or beginner, to open, or advanced, with many intermediate levels in between. Cornell has the potential to place well in several categories.

Senior Jessica Enes, competing in the walk-trot and sophomore Asta Torokvei, in the Open category, will lead the way for the Red. Juniors Caitlin O’Shea and Linda Nguyen will represent the Red at the Advanced and Beginner levels of the walk-trot-canter, respectively. Although these are the riders to watch, Mitchell has confidence in the rest of the team as well.

“We have never been this deep before,” Mitchell said. “The team would like to do something better this year.”

Mitchell believes that the team is ready to achieve this goal. After a month of 6:00 a.m. practices, the team is looking forward to the first horse show.

“We have been having outstanding practices,” Mitchell said. “The girls are very focused.”

The Red will be competing against the 11 schools in its region, including Ithaca, Hartwick, Binghamton, and Cobleskill.

But the school the Red has its eye on is Skidmore.

“They are our arch-nemesis,” Mitchell said. “But like the girls say, they’re going down this year.”

Skidmore is the defending regional champion. The Red must beat the Skidmore team in order to earn the national bid it wants. Mitchell does not doubt that the Red is up to the task.

“I am very proud,” he said. “This is an excellent, excellent team.”

Archived article by Olivia Dwyer

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